Man dies in boating incident

Four men were arrested on suspicion of performing a reckless and negligent act Thursday night in connection with a death which occurred in the North Sound.

The victim was identified by friends as 28-year-old David ‘Dooley’ Anderson.

The 911 Emergency Communications Centre was called about the incident shortly after 7pm Thursday by a man who reported a boat he was on was in difficulty, with a number of people in the water.

Officers from the Royal Cayman Islands Police Marine Unit and the Department of Environment were dispatched to the scene, but later learned that the boat had left and was headed to Kaibo with five passengers on board. One of the passengers had been seriously injured.

Medics who arrived at Kaibo confirmed the man had died from serious injuries. The four other men who were on the boat with him were all arrested at the scene.

RCIPS Detectives were interviewing the men, aged 35, 40, 46 and 46.

A police spokesperson hesitated to describe what occurred Thursday night as a boating accident, since officers had not finished their investigation.

However, the Caymanian Compass has learned that 911 was called after some passengers on the boat were thrown overboard. Mr. Anderson was believed to have been struck by the craft when the person operating it came back to search for him. Police investigators would not confirm that account.

According to the Cayman Islands Penal Code, reckless and negligent acts are defined under section 210(b) as: ‘Whoever in a manner so rash or negligent as to endanger human life or safety navigates or takes part in the navigation or working of any vessel, hovercraft or aircraft is guilty of an offence.’